


Kintsugi

by LadyKnightSkye



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, Force Bond, Humor, Implied Sexual Content, M/M, Mind Palace, Rey is a Kenobi, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-26
Updated: 2016-05-26
Packaged: 2018-06-04 13:26:41
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 14,127
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6659872
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LadyKnightSkye/pseuds/LadyKnightSkye
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kintsugi (<i>gold joinery</i>): the art of repairing broken pottery with gold or other metals.</p>
<p>~</p>
<p>The day Rey is captured by the First Order, it is not Kylo Ren, but General Hux that brings her to the Supreme Leader. Snoke already knows that she will refuse to fall to the Dark, but he has other uses for her . . . And fortunately for Rey, Kylo Ren has no intention of going along with them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Gift

**Author's Note:**

> So, this grew out of a random desire to write something more canon-compliant, and honestly, I've just learned to run with the bunnies until I get back on track. So, this has been pounded out over the last two days and still has some finishing up on the last couple of parts (plus smut because I feel like it, and it won't be coming anytime soon in _A Different Star_.) So, hopefully you guys enjoy this little bunny that insisted on being told!

Rey slammed into the cold, obsidian floor with an “oof!” She laid there for a moment, still in a bit of shock. She had always thought it would be Kylo Ren who would hunt her down and throw her to the Supreme Leader, not this weasel. He’d said his name was General Hux, and Rey vaguely remembered that Poe had mentioned him once as the captain of the Finalizer. “Supreme Leader Snoke,” he crowed, “I have brought the girl you’ve been seeking.”

“I can see that,” the malevolent presence on the holographic throne replied. “You have done well General Hux.”

The man’s smile was full of terrible pleasure. “I have only done my duty, unlike some.”

“Cease your infantile posturing,” Snoke snapped. Rey could feel the weight of his gaze on her. She raised her eyes to face him, and clamped down on her fear. She wouldn’t give Snoke the satisfaction. “Leave us General.”

Hux looked a bit put out, but turned smartly on his heel and left. Rey turned her hazel gaze back to the Supreme Leader, who was giving her an unreadable look. “So, you are the scavenger who is strong in the Force,” Snoke purred. 

“What do you want? I will not turn to the Dark Side. You might as well kill me now,” Rey replied bravely. 

Snoke laughed. “Such courage! But I still have a use for you, Dark Side or no.”

Suddenly, he pushed into her mind, ripping her shields with such brutality that Rey made a sound that only vaguely sounded human. Snoke was everywhere in her head, black smoke filling her brain until it was like she was suffocating under his influence. Panicked and in pain, she searched for some way to kick him out of her head. One push showed her that she couldn’t evict him the same way she’d done Kylo Ren – Snoke’s mental presence was staggering. She screamed and screamed until her throat was raw, and it was only after what seemed like hours that she fully realized the horror of her situation. 

_Snoke was trying to destroy her._

She was so fully immersed in her inner mind that she realized something – there was the automatic processes of her body, her heartbeat and breath, and then her own Self. She had managed to withdraw enough of her Self that she was no longer in the same excruciating pain, but every time Snoke’s blackness managed to touch that little ball of Self, the pain ate at her and she saw a piece of her Self disappear. She had to escape or else she wouldn’t survive. Her body would go on living, but Rey would be gone. 

The inside of Rey’s mind looked like an ancient open-air temple, overgrown with green and flowers. There were reds and blues and purples that burst in riots around the columns of marble that held up the roof of her mind. There were statues of people who were important to her – Finn, Poe, General Organa, Master Luke. Han Solo’s statue was wreathed in soft blooms of the purest white. Her inner eyes scanned everything until they came upon a small hole in the only wall. 

It was barely big enough to fit all of her, but she was able to slip into it, and the pain ended abruptly. Afraid that he would follow, Rey slid down the hole as far as she could go, hoping that he would not see the entrance to her escape route. She watched the opening for a moment, but Snoke’s blackness only passed by. She waited for what seemed like forever, and then tried to go back up the hole. When she reached the opening, it was blocked. 

Rey cursed in as many languages as she knew. She was locked out of her own mind. 

“Outstanding,” she finally muttered to herself. She looked back the way she had come, and decided that it couldn’t hurt to find out what was on the other side of the hole. She slid back down, and squeezed her way through the tunnel that she hadn’t even known was in her mind. When she finally found the other side, she fell out into a nightmare. 

Her mind had been a temple, but this mind was a palace. A degraded, derelict palace. The floor might have been pretty, once upon a time, but was now cracked and so much rubble. The ceiling had had murals, but was now dingy and the paint was chipping. There was little light, and darkness seethed around her. One solitary candle burned in the darkness, and with her own brightness gave enough light to see a least a little of the room. She approached the candle, and realized that it illuminated a bust. The features were familiar, and made her gasp.

She was staring into her own face. 

“ _What are you doing here?!_ ”  
~~  
Kylo Ren was ready to punch Hux in the face.

Hard.

Maybe he should do it. Snoke would punish him, but after the last year, it wouldn’t be that much of a change. After Starkiller, Kylo Ren had returned to his master, shamed. Snoke had claimed that the torture that came after was _training_ but he’d also told Kylo that killing Han would strengthen him. 

Most days he wished that the scavenger had run him through.

After three months, Snoke had laid off, saying that Kylo Ren had been trained enough. What Kylo had taken that to mean was that Snoke realized that he would never shape his apprentice into what he wanted. Ever since that moment six months ago, Kylo had gotten good at setting up walls in his mind. It was a dark enough place anyway that Snoke didn’t notice the barriers Kylo threw up to keep his master from seeing his true thoughts. Unbeknownst to Snoke, he’d not seen Kylo’s true thoughts in months. 

Right now, however, Hux was being more of a prat than usual. He was alluding to some deed he had completed that Kylo never did, but the Master of Ren was not interested in it. He was just giving some truly serious thought to punching Hux when he felt something inside his head. It wasn’t Snoke – it was bright. So bright that it burned him from the inside out. He turned inwards, looking for the source of this new feeling. He was within his mind, his dark, dilapidated mind, and there was a shining light brighter than the candle he’d not snuffed out even with the death of his father. “What are you doing here?!”

The scavenger started, turned to him. She was beautiful, as beautiful as the first moment he’d seen her running in the woods, framed by green and brown. She was as beautiful as the moment she had taken up his grandfather’s lightsaber, swirling snow and her golden skin bathed in blue. Her wide eyes were fixed on him, but there was no fear, only confusion. “Why would it lead to you?”

“Why would what lead to me?”

At that moment, Snoke pinged his surface mind. “ _Kylo Ren, come to me._ ”

With much pleasure, Kylo could finally turn on his heel and leave Hux. He’d not realized that the ginger bastard had continued prattling on while he’d been addressing the woman in his head. As she strode through the halls of the Finalizer, Kylo focused back on the woman in his mind. “You haven’t answered my question,” Kylo gritted. 

“You don’t know then?” she asked.

“Know what?!”

But before she could answer he was inside Snoke’s mobile audience chamber. He stopped nearly on the threshold. He didn’t even notice Snoke’s projection, his full attention on the vision in front of him. The scavenger was beautiful in desert rags, resplendent in clean clothes, but in the sheer, white gown . . . she was a goddess. The gown was long and flowing, the gossamer thin material layered so that it mostly covered her, but as he approached he could just glimpse the shadow of her nipples through the gathers that formed the bodice. As his gaze went higher, he noticed that her face was painted with cosmetics. They made her face pleasing, but Kylo found he preferred her freckles to the uniform beauty of her painted skin.

“ _THE BASTARD!_ ”

Kylo had to fight down a startled flinch at the force of her ire. He retreated into his head to see her visibly seething. “I was not wearing that when I got here!” she cried in anger. 

He returned his attention to the Supreme Leader. Snoke was smiling, and Kylo didn’t like it. “Master?”

“I have a present for you,” Snoke murmured, “General Hux found the scavenger girl.”

“Do you . . . wish me to train her?” he asked, _Because it looks like you want me to have sex with her_.

A blow caught his upper arm, and again he had to contain a flinch. Inside his mind the scavenger was seething. He gave her a death glare. “I can hear your thoughts!”

“And whose fault is that?” he shot back. 

Snoke’s voice brought him back out into the real world. “She proved too recalcitrant to train.” The girl’s body walked towards him, her face taking on a sultry look. “But you have been doing well. I decided that instead of killing her . . . there could be other uses.”

Kylo’s realization was a thunderbolt. However, he still asked. “What uses?”

“You are attracted to her, are you not?” Snoke replied. 

His suspicions confirmed, Kylo felt his blood turn to ice. Inside his mind, the scavenger had paled. “You think . . . he wants?”

Kylo didn’t answer her, and he realized that he would have to play this delicately. Snoke would kill her if she was ultimately no use. To that end, he walked forward, placing a hand on her painted cheek. “You are . . . giving her to me?”

“Yes,” Snoke purred. “You allowed your . . . compassion for her to cloud your thinking before. Now, you may have her all to yourself, and there should be no distractions for you.”

Kylo walked around her, broadcasting thoughts of accepting this “gift.” He reached out, feeling the material of her dress beneath his fingers. Silk. “I assume that she’s under your power, otherwise she wouldn’t be so docile.”

“Yes,” Snoke murmured, “But when the time comes I will hand her over to you.”

“When may I have her?” Kylo let eagerness bleed into his words. 

“At the end of the day. When you have completed your training and duties for the day, you may return to this chamber and take her.”

“Thank you, Master.”

Snoke disappeared, but his presence was still in the room. He stared out at Kylo Ren from the hazel eyes of his scavenger. A pain on the top of his head surprised him enough that he flinched. He turned away and strode to the door, trying to play it off as him jerking himself back to his duties. In reality, the scavenger had knocked him on the top of his head. He returned to the other side of his wall, and glared at the scavenger girl. “One,” she said in a firm voice, “I am not ‘your’ scavenger. Two, you are not having sex with me. Three, what the hell?”

He loomed over her, his anger coming to the fore. “One, you have got to stop distracting me when I’m interacting with others. Two, of course I’m not having sex with you. Three, you have to be more specific than that.”

They glared at each other for a moment, before Kylo realized that he was back on the bridge. “Look, keep quiet for the next couple of hours, then I have training this afternoon. I can use it to meditate, so we can talk.”

She looked unsure, and he finally picked up on her underlying emotions. She was terrified and confused. Part of him wanted to comfort her, and the other part wanted to beat himself up for being weak. He clamped down on his emotions, building a small shield inside his bigger ones, to keep his thoughts from bleeding over to her. He drew himself back from his inner world, and went back on duty. Before his mind was fully focused on the problems before him, he heard her say quietly, “My name is Rey.”


	2. Mending

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey gets her body back, and they both get sweet revenge on Hux.

Rey watched him step back through the strange barrier he had, and she didn’t know what to say. There for a moment, he’d seemed almost . . . tender. And before, when they’d fully realized what Snoke contemplated, he’d seemed as shocked as she was. As revolted as she was. Without realizing it, she was pacing, and knocked into something. She reached out and caught it before it hit the ground –

_A father’s smile. “Good job, Ben!”_

She quickly unhanded it, and realized that she had held a statue of Han Solo. It was hidden in the darkness. She backed away, and went back towards the candle. She sat on the floor since there were no chairs. She thought about meditating, but decided against it. She sighed, and stroked a finger across a crack in the floor. She felt a frisson of fear, but kept stroking the crack until it began to fill with gold. Rey didn’t fully understand what happened, but it made her feel better. It also felt like a little of the darkness was abating. 

She found another crack, and Rey passed the hours until she looked up to find a very angry Kylo Ren looking down at her. “What. Did. You. Do?”

“I . . .” she stopped and looked down at her work. The floor around her statue was cleaned, the cracks filled with gold and silver veins. “I healed your mind,” she whispered, more to herself than to him. 

“Why?!” he growled. He began to pace, pulling at his hair since there wasn’t anything to destroy. 

She opened her mouth to make a scathing answer, until something Master Luke told her resurfaced. “ _Remember Rey, you have a powerful gift for the mind. But, you cannot heal a mind that is not ready to be healed_.”

Kylo Ren stopped at that, and glared at her. “I don’t care if I’m ready or not, you did it without my permission!”

“As if you’ve never done anything to me without my permission! At least I’m doing something that actually helps rather than hurts!” she cried. 

He looked like he was going to fight that, but instead he conjured up a pair of plain black chairs. He sat down in one and then gestured to the other. She took his suggestion, and gingerly sat. The chair was surprisingly comfy. “Look,” Ren said with a sigh, “I want you out of my head.”

“You and me both,” she muttered. “Like I want to share space with a murderer.”

He ignored that. “But its not going to be easy. The Supreme Leader will catch on unless we handle this with some finesse.”

“What kind of finesse?”

“I will be given control of you . . . your body tonight. Instead of me taking control, you’ll go back to your body, but act like I’m the one holding the strings. From there we’ll figure out how to get away.”

“We?” she asked scathingly. “Why should I trust you? Why should I take you anywhere?”

“You have to trust me because you have no choice, and you won’t be taking me anywhere,” he retorted in the same tone of voice. “I’ll go and disappear.”

“Why?” she asked, confused. “Why would you leave?”

Kylo put his head down. Then his head came back up, and he gestured to the dilapidated palace. “Snoke has whispered in my ears for years that I will be so strong, so powerful, that if I just do what he says I will be fulfilled. Except he’s lied.” Kylo’s voice began to break. “He’s lied about everything. He said . . . he said killing my father would make me stronger, but it weakened me. I . . . I . . .” He put his head back into his hands. 

Rey could feel his sorrow, his anger, his pain so clearly that her own eyes began to tear up. It had been easy to vilify him when she had nothing to identify with him over. But she knew that this sorrow wasn’t feigned. These were his true feelings. As much as she wanted him to suffer, she couldn’t stand his pain anymore, so she wrapped him into an embrace. His head was tucked into her bosom, and she stroked his hair. She looked up at the ceiling, and then back to him. “I won’t tell you it’s okay,” she said softly. “It’s not. You let someone lead you down a dark path, and you did so willingly. But you know you’ve done wrong. You know you’ve got to change, that this is not what you want to be. Those are your first steps.”

She barely registered out of the corner of her eye as the floors began to ripple, the cracks filled with more silver and gold, the marble becoming smooth again. “Tell me about your dad,” Rey asked quietly. 

Kylo Ren started haltingly, but soon he was pouring out memories, not just about Han, but about Leia as well. They passed his three hours of training with him unloading years of pain, resentment, love, and joy to her. Slowly, the floor was completely repaired. Kylo cocked his head at the end of it, and nodded. “It’s time. Let’s go get you back into your own head.”

She smiled at him, her light radiant.  
~~  
Kylo made sure to not hide behind his walls as he returned to the audience chamber. Rey’s body stood where she had been left, and Kylo wondered if Snoke had allowed it to move. He wouldn’t be surprised if the Supreme Leader hadn’t. Snoke brushed his mind, “ _Take her._ ”

Kylo reached out, entered the vacant mind and felt the presence of his Master leaving. Quickly, he constructed a shield around her inner mind. “Rey,” he called.

He had not used the “hole” that Rey had found, but she had showed it to him. He had an inkling of what that meant, but had kept up his small personal shield so she wouldn’t hear his speculation. He looked around her mind for a moment, marveling at it. He could almost swear he was in a temple on Naboo. He saw her exit the hole, although he’d call it more of a passage now. He was still marveling a bit at his mind-floor. Rey came back through, and glanced around fearfully. “Good,” she said, “He didn’t do anything.”

Kylo nodded, turned his attention back to the fleeting presence of his Master. “ _Thank you, I have her._ ”

“ _Good. Enjoy her Kylo._ ”

“ _I will. Thank you, Master._ ”

“Enjoy her Kylo,” Rey mocked, “I should shove my –“

A twitch of the lips brought Kylo back to his own head. “Come,” he said aloud, confident that verbal commands wouldn’t overly concern Snoke should he be watching. He led Rey to the door, and then stopped. He’d worn his cowl today, and was thankful for it. In the dimly lit audience chamber her attire only gave glimpses, but the bright fluorescents of the halls would take all mystique away. She would functionally be as naked as a babe. He took off his cowl, turned, and arranged his cowl around her shoulders so that it fell as a shawl around her almost bare top. “I won’t let anyone else see what is mine.”

He had expected to be cut off from her, to not be able to use telepathy, but he felt her understanding. He glanced back to the passage in his mind, and knew it for what it was. _Force bond_. Rey spiked some confusion, but he sent her a picture of him shaking his head. She understood, and simply walked behind him through the halls. They were only a few corridors away from his rooms when they spotted a familiar man coming towards them. 

_I hate him_.

They both realized that they’d had the thought in stereo, and then the connection between them was used for a nefarious purpose. Rey took slightly bigger steps to be in step with him, and he put his arm around her waist. When Hux came closer, the look on his face was priceless. The general didn’t know where to look, Rey, Kylo, Kylo’s arm around Rey’s waist, or the hand Rey was using to play with the hem of Kylo’s unmistakable cowl. His mouth was slightly opened and set in a look of confusion, and when he passed there was only a strange croaking sound from him. 

After they’d left Hux to have a brain implosion, they took two more turns before they entered Kylo’s rooms. When the door slid shut, Rey burst out laughing, and barely noticed when Kylo joined her after taking off his mask. “Did you see his face?” Rey cried. “That almost made up for treating me like baggage!”

“I will savor that croak for the rest of my days. And the look on his face!” Kylo agreed. 

~~  
They laughed a few moments more before Rey began to look around the room she was in. It was a Spartan bedroom with a relatively large bed and a small table with two chairs. There was not a single thing in there to give a clue as to who the room belonged to. “So, what do we do now?”

He cocked his head. “ _Shh._ ”

She stayed silent as he looked back at her. “ _Rey_ ,” he called.

“ _Yes?_ ”

“ _Good. We need to convince Snoke that we’re having sex._ ”

“ . . . _How?_ ”

He crowded her close to the wall. “ _Just stay still. I put up a shield in your mind to segregate what you want him to see and what you don’t. Can you feel it?_ ”

“ _Yes._ ”

“ _Good. I’m going to give you memories. Just throw them out there like they’re yours. And every so often moan._ ”

“ _Okay. But why the moaning?_ ”

“ . . . _Have you never had sex before?_ ”

“ _No. Never had a partner I’d want to do it with honestly._ ”

“ _Not even your pet Stormtrooper?_ ”

There was a giggle through the connection. “ _Finn is like a brother. On top of that, he’s very happily with Poe_.”

Kylo didn’t inquire, just began to feed Rey the memories. Rey took them and threw them out past the shield, and tried not to feel too much of them. She did as he said and moaned every so often, and tried not to corpse as he did the same. They sounded ridiculous, probably looked ridiculous as they stood against the wall, staring at each other and moaning. Finally, Kylo gave a little roar, and nodded to her. She stopped moaning, and he let her move away from him. “Snoke’s gone now.”

“So, he just wanted to make sure you did the deed?” she asked, sitting on his bed. 

He plopped down beside her. “Well, he knows that I don’t often engage in sex. I’ve tried it both ways, and it’s not something I generally seek out now.”

“Is that how you? . . .” she asked trailing off.

“Yes,” he answered with no embarrassment. “Tried it once. Not fond of sex with males, but if I have an itch . . .”

She nodded, blushing. Rey had very little experience with sex in general, but for some reason thinking of Kylo with a male made her insides warm. In fact, she was now seriously wondering what it would be like with him. Then her stomach growled loudly. He glanced down and said, “I’ll call for dinner.”  
~~  
Kylo watched Rey eat with some amazement. She had already packed away enough for one person, but she was quickly inhaling her third helping. She also had atrocious table manners, but he decided that he wouldn’t mention anything. He picked at his food. “So,” she asked, “What is a Force bond?”

He chewed the bite he’d just shoveled in his mouth. “A Force bond is a connection between two Force-sensitives. Usually happens between a Master and Padawan, but we must have forged one.” 

“When?” she asked.

“When I . . . interrogated you. That is the only time our minds had very close contact.” He glanced over at his new mask that rested on the bed. “And it got bigger.”

“Well,” she said after finishing her plate, “That explains a lot. Is there any way to get rid of it?”

“Death is the only way,” he murmured, finally pushing his plate away. 

She nodded. “So we’re stuck with it.”

“Yes, but that’s not going to be so bad. I am defecting and you’ll be sent right back to your Resistance.” He tried not to sound bitter, but there was no way that she would want to come with him. She had a life waiting for her. He just had nothing. Blackness began to weigh on him again, and he felt anger begin to rise. Why did he care about her? Why did he delude himself into thinking that this emotion he felt for her was more than compassion? More than the Light within him seeking to be set free? The further thought that perhaps someday she could _return_ this feeling?

“Kylo?”

Her voice shocked him from his reverie. “Yes?”

“Why are you angry?” Rey asked, her hazel eyes wide.

He clamped his mouth shut, and shook his head. He just clenched his hands. Rather than be cowed as the First Order was by his open anger, she just cocked a brow. “Use words.”

“I want to stay near you!” he cried, embarrassed and angry.

She still didn’t look impressed. “And who said that you couldn’t stay with me?”

“You’re returning to the Resistance. I wouldn’t be welcomed.”

She frowned. “Not with open arms, no, but your mother misses you. She’s convinced there’s still light in you. Perhaps if you came with something to trade for your freedom?”

Kylo blinked in confusion. “Why are you helping me?”

Rey blushed. “I . . . I just want to.”

He laughed. _That compassion. That’s why I am infatuated with you._ But he makes sure this thought is locked down deep inside.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kind comments and kudos! Hope you enjoyed this chapter as much as the last!


	3. Ben

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Snake's true motivations are revealed.

The days pass slowly for Rey. Kylo Ren makes sure that she has plenty of holonovels and training manuals to pass the time, but it isn’t the same as being able to go out and do something. On top of that, she has to be vigilant about keeping up the shield Kylo taught her how to build. Snoke had a habit of dropping by at the oddest times. They’d had to pretend to have sex every night. The first night they’d decided to share the bed to actually sleep in – as Kylo pointed out, they’d already shared a head. 

When he wasn’t there, she read the novels or manuals, but at least twice she had sat and contemplated the nature of her relationship with him. It was a strange creature. The scar she’d given him was a stark reminder of who and what he was. He was Kylo Ren, killer of his father and the man who’d tried to maim Finn. However, being in his head, feeling what he felt, she found her anger hard to hold on to in the face of her compassion. His mind had been a fractured, dark thing, twisted by years of manipulation and walking in the Dark. The part of Rey that was so Light it hurt could not stand to let him stay in the Darkness. She had yet to truly forgive him for Han’s death, but when he’d shared his memories, something else had bubbled up so that she could feel it. He had wanted her to kill him. 

The first little while in his head had seen Rey more preoccupied with how to get out of the situation than with her feelings towards Kylo. Then the part of her that was a healer had been too distracted by the cracks and fissures in his mind. By the time there was a moment to contemplate what she was doing, willingly going along with a murderer in order to survive, she found that she could not work up a great deal of ire. Kylo Ren was her ticket out of here, and she was pragmatic enough not to throw his failings into his face in order to make herself feel better. Their teasing of Hux had been the last bit of truce between them, other than the shows they put on for Snoke at night. Over the next few nights she’d had more than enough chances to needle and poke, and he’d taken any snapped comments about his choice of past time with a stoic look. It was almost as if he believed her ire was his due, and yet he’d admitted to wanting to be around her.

That was the thing that drove her crazy. Kylo Ren, feared enforcer of the First Order, was anything but when he was with her. He didn’t respond to her sharp comments, but instead looked away. After a week of this odd, tentative truce, she sat opposite from him at dinner and asked, “Why are you allowing me to abuse you?”

His brown eyes flitted down to his plate. “I don’t know what you mean.”

“Come off it!” she replied harshly. “I have called you murderer more than by your name. I have thrown every mistake you’ve made in your face, but you don’t say anything to it. The only kindness I’ve given you in return for not using me as Snoke wished was to listen to you about your father. Why are you letting me spew so much poison at you?”

“Because it’s not poison if it’s true,” he replied, and Rey found that she had no argument to make. 

“But you don’t’ have to take it from me,” she said earnestly.

He snorted. “I’m the one who hurt your friends, killed the first father you’ve ever known. Of course I deserve it.”

Rey looked as this man submissively eating his dinner, and knew she had a decision to make. Kylo Ren was giving up his Dark ways, trying to get away from what he realized was a horrible master. She looked down at her hands, and thought about what Luke had said about fear and anger. She had to let it go. “Yes, maybe you do deserve it from me, but I don’t have to give it to you anymore. I won’t. You’re helping me. The least I can do is not throw your mistakes in your face every chance I get.”

~~  
After that, things were different. Their truce was calmer, and a bit friendlier. Kylo found himself actually getting involved in conversations with Rey. They traded stories of their childhoods, her in the deserts of Jakku and him as the son of heroes. She seemed fascinated by the life he led before. Any time they edged near mentions of Snoke or the Jedi, they both instinctively shied away from it. But more often than not, Kylo found himself having a series of lovely evenings talking to the object of his affections. What before was infatuation was quickly transforming into something much different. 

They had lived two weeks together before things went wrong. They had a plan for escape, but they both hesitated to act just yet. Kylo didn’t want this strange idyll to end. However, it was taken out of his hands by the summons they received that fourteenth night. “ _Kylo Ren. Bring the girl to me_.”

Rey’s eyes went wide with horror, but she allowed him to flow into her mind. They left Kylo’s rooms, walking in quick lockstep. They passed Stormtroopers and officers that quickly veered away from the sight of his mask, but spoke to no one. After they entered Snoke’s audience chamber, Kylo knew something was very, very wrong. His Master’s face was calm, but there was a hurricane in the Force, a tempest of Darkness. He felt Rey flinch as they stepped in, and he cursed silently. She had no mask to hide her face, nor the need to cultivate the ability to lie. He brought her down the length of the chamber, his teeth locked. “Yes, Master?”

Snoke didn’t answer, but instead focused on Rey. Kylo felt himself being pushed by as Snoke snooped around her mind. Then, his Master delved deeper, not in her mind, but scanning her body. “You have failed me,” Snoke finally said to Kylo.

“Master?” Kylo was glad of the mask, but could not keep the waver from his voice.

“She isn’t pregnant.”

Both he and Rey stilled. Inside the temple of her mind, Kylo glanced back to her across the barrier he helped her build. She was pale, and he knew that she was unable to control her face. Neither had thought farther than for Rey to be Kylo’s toy – they didn’t even think about the possibility of a child from the union. “Master,” he finally croaked, “I thought she’d had a contraceptive shot for the month. It is standard –“

His mental eyes never left hers as Snoke answered. “The medical staff said she’d not been on contraceptives, so she should have been more than fertile.”

The horror that flowed through the bond was staggering. Kylo knew that most of it was his fault, every scene in his memory of Snoke’s version of training, every memory of feeling abandoned by his parents being poured into it. Rey fed anger into the bond. She was not about to be a brood mother for Snoke’s next generation of Force-sensitive puppets. She would not. Again, their thoughts were as one.

_Not my child_.

But before they could turn on Snoke, crushing pain hit both of them until they were on their knees. Rey screamed and Kylo cried out his own pain. “I know!” Snoke thundered, “ _I know that you have been lying to me!_ ”

The pain grew more intense as Snoke’s anger rushed over them. “I have given you every chance Kylo Ren, but your insistence on rebellion ends here! I don’t need the girl to get what I want! I only need a part of her!”

Rey cried out again, terror spiking through the bond. Kylo screamed out himself, not at the pain but at her terror. Suddenly, the pain lessened, and Kylo looked up at the softly glowing figure before him. The man was about his age, with a long scar over his right eye. His hair was light brown, wavy, and his eyes were familiar. “Ben,” the man said. “Ben.”

“Grand . . . father?”

“ _Yes, listen to me. What have you always wanted?_ ”

“To be strong,” Kylo wheezed. “To continue your legacy. To finish what you started.”

“ _And have you?_ ”

Kylo felt like crying. “No.”

“ _No,_ ” his grandfather agreed, “ _Not the legacy you think I left. How did I die child?_ ”

“You . . .” and Kylo remembered what his mother had told him so long ago, the story that Snoke had sneered at, yet did not refute. “You died saving Uncle Luke.”

“ _My legacy is the protection of my family. Ben, finish what I couldn’t. Continue it. I failed my beloved one._ ” His grandfather turned to look to Rey, still writhing on the ground. “ _Finish what I started Ben. Protect_ her.”

Kylo Ren stared into his grandfather’s eyes, and shakily touched his mask. He took it off, a defiant shriek on his lips. He threw it at the hologram, slinging his lightsaber with it. He wanted to use that lightsaber on that mask, to kill and rend the creature that mask had made, but knew that there was no time. He had to save her. He retreated behind his shield, gathering power into him. He looked around his mind palace and knew that he didn’t have enough power to do this, but he had to try. He threw it all back at Snoke, gathering up as much power as he could to do so. 

Suddenly, he was joined by Rey, her power flowing through him. His Darkness – for he was drawing all of it out, using it as he could, mixed with her Light. “Kylo!” she cried, “Use your pain!”

He took her cue, gathering up every painful memory, every stinging hurt he’d ever suffered. His broken bones, his cuts, and his aching bruises. Lastly, he gathered up his painful memories of his father’s death, the thoughts of suicide he entertained, the loneliness and shoved it all down Snoke’s throat. Rey followed with her own painful memories, but she was also working her ability to heal minds. As he drew out his pain, she went behind him, filling those cracks and crevasses with gold and silver. The dingy memories lived again in full color, painting his walls and his ceiling with the murals of all the memories that made him, him. Kylo realized something just as he felt Snoke completely break away from their minds. 

He didn’t dwell on it, too busy following Snoke into the more powerful being’s head, Rey along for the ride. The two pushed their memories again, forcing Snoke to choke on their heartbreak and pain. They overwhelmed him, Darkness and Light mixing and turning into a Grey slurry that Snoke could not handle. They withdrew just as suddenly as he fell unconscious from the overwhelming power of his apprentice and the scavenger girl. Just before they were completely gone, the apprentice ripped the anchor from his former Master’s mind so that Snoke could never slip back into his head easily. 

The next thing they knew, the two were kneeling on the floor. They looked at each other, completely in awe of what they were able to do. He rose shakily, his body still feeling the echoes of the pain that Snoke had visited on them both. He walked gingerly over to Rey and helped her to her feet. “Kylo,” she started. 

“No.”

Her hazel eyes flew to his. “My name is Ben.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the kudos and comments! Its much appreciated.
> 
> Also, this isn't the end. Next is getting to the Resistance without them killing Ben.


	4. Resistance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben shows his roots.

Her smile was radiant. “Ben. That was . . . incredible. I can’t believe we did that!”

“I know,” he breathed. “We . . . beat him. We stopped him!” He began to laugh, his joy ringing in the dark chamber. He caught her up, the emotions too much for him to control. She shrieked her own laugh at being picked up and spun. When she was set down, Rey wished that he would pick her up again. His big hands were warm and gentle. 

“Ben,” she said again, still loving the shape of that name on her lips. This was what his mother had hoped for, what his father had hoped for. The little boy with the dark curls was no longer dead and buried, but resurrected. She could still see his mind, the palace restored to its former beauty, but now made even more radiant by the gold and silver that chased along where the cracks used to be. “Will you come back with me? Please?”

He glanced down, and then back to her. “We have to work quickly.” He strode to a communications console beside Snoke’s throne. “I can send a message that will look like its from Snoke. We can use it to get a shuttle ready, and to summon Hux. There is no telling how long Snoke will be out, but we should have at least an hour lead time.”

“Right,” she said, “Is there anything else we need?”

“I have to go back to the room,” he said. They quickly headed out of the throne room after Ben sent his messages. Rey put back on her haughty face, and strode by his side, wearing his cowl like a banner. They didn’t encounter anyone, but as soon as they entered the room, Ben was pulling extra clothes from his closet. He’d pulled out an under tunic and pants, handing them to her. When her dress had been laundered, she often would wear his under tunics and pants. They were roomy, comfy to be in. 

“What’s this?” she asked.

“Clothes for you.”

Rey shook her head, throwing them on the bed. “It’ll be obvious I’m wearing your clothes. Hux will know something’s up.”

“You can’t mean to wear that back to the Resistance?” Ben asked skeptically.

She shrugged. “I’ve come to enjoy this dress. Maybe ask a seamstress to put panels in so I’m not showing everything, and this will be a lovely dress.”

He rolled his eyes and nodded. “As you wish, my lady.” He pulled out a data slug. “Now, let’s get out of here.”

Their walk to the hangar was uninterrupted. They approached the Upsilon ship that Kylo Ren tended to use, and both felt a spark of relief when they saw Hux loitering at the ramp. His icy blue eyes turn to them with ill will shining brightly. “Well, well, what does our Supreme Leader have us doing here?”

Rey sent a request down to the bond, and Ben’s laugh was all she needed. “You will accompany us on the ship.”

Hux nodded, “I will accompany you on the ship.”

“Good,” she said, sailing up the ramp. Ben was snickering behind her as he brought up the rear. “Now, go sit down like a good boy.”

Hux did as she bid, and Ben took several sets of restraints, locking them at ankle and wrist. He waved a hand over Hux’s head, and the other man slid into unconsciousness. “You have a gift for the mind trick,” Ben commented. 

“Like my grandfather before me,” she shot back. “Apparently Obi-Wan was fond of them.”

Ben smiled, and sat at the controls. “Ready to learn how to fly an Upsilon?”

She slid into the other seat and said, “Teach away.”  
~~  
The flight to the Resistance’s new base was peaceful, but Ben began to grow restless. Rey couldn’t help but notice, but she didn’t pry. He was debating telling her about his epiphany in the throne room, but didn’t know if he had the courage. He had shared so much with her, but this was something so different. However, a voice helped him along. “The worst she can say is she doesn’t feel the same,” his grandfather whispered. 

“Rey,” he started. 

After he didn’t say anything, she prompted him. “Yes Ben?”

“I . . . I never told you why I wanted to come with you.” He gulped. “I want to tell you now.”

He stopped again, and Rey’s open expression began to become confused and irritated. “Ben, what is it you want to say?” she asked bluntly. 

“I . . . Do you still hate me?”

She rolled her eyes. “I can’t decide which facet of you I like better – the temperamental man-child or the bumbling, shy man who can’t just say what he means. Ben, I don’t hate you. I did before but that kind of died when I spent more than five seconds in your head. On top of that, Ben you’ve gone out of your way to protect me. Don’t think I didn’t hear your grandfather. You struck back at Snoke to protect me. You and Finn are the only people who’ve ever done anything like that for me. I can’t hate you. I can hate what you’ve done, but I can’t hate you.”

“I love you,” Ben finally declared. 

Rey blinked. “Oh, is that all?”

He knew he had to look like a fish with his mouth alternately gaping and closing, but he had expected a slightly different response. “What?”

She smiled at him, and leaned over to kiss him on the cheek. Her lips were warm and gentle. “I don’t love you yet,” she whispered in his ear, “But keep this up and I will. Stay with me Ben and be adorable and exasperating and all the things you are, and some day my heart will belong to you.”

He tried to reply, but she pointed at the instruments. “We’re coming up on the base. You disabled the tracker right?”

“Of course,” he said, stowing his astonishment. He pointed to a crushed piece of metal beside Hux’s unconscious body. 

“Good, now let me do the talking.” She hit the comm button and turned it to the frequency that the Resistance must have been using. “Base, this is Rey in a commandeered First Order vessel. Anyone there?”

“Rey!” the voice on the other cried happily. “We thought you were done for!”

“Nah, I’m here, and with guests.” She turned and smiled at Ben. 

The landing was smooth, Rey having learned well from him. Ben took a deep breath, aware that the coming confrontation was probably going to be the most uncomfortable one in his entire life. Every single person in the base was going to hate him. He had only stopped being Kylo Ren two hours ago – there was no reason that they would accept him at all. When Rey stood, so did he, and he followed her out as if going to his own funeral. 

~~  
General Leia Organa looked up when Poe Dameron all but knocked down her door. Luke was sitting with her, the two of them talking quietly about the event that had taken place not but a few hours before. A massive ripple in the Force was giving them cause for concern. The last time they’d felt anything on that level the Hosnian System had been incinerated. However, there was no death, only a feeling of incredible power. Her best pilot was grinning ear to ear. “Rey’s back!”

Luke and Leia both jumped up, their eyes meeting for a second before they were following the younger man out into the hall and then onto the landing pad. The ship was a First Order model, an Upsilon if Leia wasn’t mistaken. The sleek black creature was different from the ones she was used to seeing, but then again the last time she’d really seen either a First Order or Imperial command shuttle it had been the waning days of the Galactic Civil War. The crowed that gathered was huge, in no small part due to everyone feeling a bit guilty. Rey had been captured on her way back from her training on Ach-To to help survivors of the last mission. Several had been rendered almost crippled by their trauma. Luke had caught on quickly that Rey had a knack for healing minds, and had suggested she try to help. It had been the Resistance’s need that had put her in harm’s way, alone. 

The Upsilon powered down, and Leia felt something close, something familiar. The ramp opened, and there was Rey. She walked down the ramp a few steps, but stopped at the cheers. Leia couldn’t stop the small smile that wreathed her face at the look on the girl’s. Then, she frowned. Rey was dressed in a gown that probably cost more than some of the Resistance’s equipment, and if Leia didn’t miss her guess, showed almost as much skin as that awful slave outfit she’d had to wear when Jabba the Hutt claimed to own her. Rey finally smiled, and then looked through the crowd. When she met Leia’s eyes she beckoned her over. 

The crowd parted for the General, and Leia approached with her usual air of command. Rey nodded to her, and she returned the gesture. “General Organa,” Rey called, “I have someone on board I think you’ll be interested in having in the Resistance.”

“Oh really?” Leia asked, a tiny spark of hope beginning to flicker. 

Rey nodded, and then turned back to the ship. “Ben!”

Leia froze, and she felt Luke freeze next to her. That little hope burst in to flames as an unfamiliar yet so familiar face appeared on the ramp. He was dragging a red-headed man behind him, and he appeared uneasy with so many eyes on him. Leia startled when a bellow rang out through the crowd. “Kylo Ren!” young Finn cried. 

The Resistance members all pulled blasters in a wave that on most days would make Leia proud. Several stepped in front of her to shield her from the men on the ramp. All of the blasters were trained on Ben, who seemed to be taking it in stride. He was eyeing the young man who had outed him. “Hello again . . . Finn.”

The look on Finn’s face was slightly comical. “What are you doing here?”

Rey had apparently had enough. “He’s with me! _All of you put down your blasters_!”

With the same sort of coordination as when they’d put them up, everyone lowered their weapons. Leia glanced over at Luke with a small smile. “Her mind trick is strong.”

“She does show a curious aptitude for it.”

They returned their attention to the girl on the ramp. “I’m going to say right now that if anyone has a problem with Ben, you have a problem with me. He saved my life, Finn. He saved me from a fate worse than death, and you are not going to hurt him!”

Finn gaped. “He’s Kylo Ren! Have you forgotten what he did to Han Solo?!”

Leia flinched, but it wasn’t at the mention of her late husband. It was the spike of sorrow she could feel from Ben. Her baby looked at Rey, glanced back at the crowd, and almost looked like he was going to slink back into the ship. Then, a curious thing happened. He cocked his head as if listening to someone. Then, his lips twitched, and mischief bloomed in his eyes. Ben stood straight, and hoisted up the red-headed man that he had dragged out of the ship. “This is General Hux,” Ben said in a booming voice. “He’s the asshole who gave the order for Starkiller to fire on the Hosnian System. He’s also the one who ordered that it fire on D’Qar. You let me stay, you can have him.”

“And why would we trade one murderer for another?” Finn cried.

Ben’s left eye brow shot up, and in that moment Leia realized just how much he’d inherited from her. His rakish offer had all the hallmarks of a classic Han Solo move, and now he was bringing out the Organa to play. “Well if you want to talk magnitudes, he’s the biggest murderer here. I’ve killed, oh I’ve killed, but so has every one of you!”

His glare raked the crowd of Resistance fighters. “Do you know how many of your brethren were killed on Starkiller, Finn? How many innocent Stormtroopers who’d never killed one damn person? The non-combatants, the technicians the First Order hired from off world, the hydroponics farmers who only worked there because they needed the money? Whose only crime was being in the wrong place at the wrong time? I know, I know because I was there for the aftermath. _Two million_. Two million people died on Starkiller because of your actions. Now, I’ve killed, but I haven’t been complicit in the killing of two million people.”

Leia could see her people getting restless, but she decided against stopping her son’s tirade. “And Hux? He’s responsible for the deaths of billions and he loves it. Do you know he gave a rousing speech before they fired on Hosnian? Oh, and I’ve seen his face when he watches someone get killed. This man gets off on it. Everyone here is guilty of killing, but this man thrives on it. All of you, me, Rey . . . we only kill when necessary, when our duties demand it. When someone orders it. I know that I have done wrong, Finn. I’ve hurt people, killed people that didn’t deserve it, and now it’s time for me to atone for all my sins. You don’t think I don’t recall my father’s hand on my face right after I’d run him through? _You don’t think I regret that decision every damn day?_ ” There were tears in his eyes, and Leia’s heart began to break.

He shook Hux, who looked like he was quickly waking up. “So who would you rather have running free in the galaxy? The man who takes pleasure in the slaughter of millions, or the man who’s come to atone for the crimes he’s committed?” he asked quietly. 

There was silence. Leia tapped on the shoulders of the people in front of her, and they moved out of her way. When she passed Finn, he had a pensive look on his face. Poe stood beside him, and when he caught her eye, gave her a nod. She turned to look at her son, and couldn’t help the small smile that wreathed her face. “All I’ve wanted for years was for you to come home. Maybe I should be angry, maybe I should throw both of you in the brig, but I am weak. I have lost my husband, I refuse to lose my son. You say you want to atone. Tell me how, so I can justify it.”

Ben held up a data slug in his other hand. “This has every schematic from every base the First Order has. It also has plans for every ship, layouts, the works. There is a list of all First Order sympathizers, spies, and suppliers. By now they must know we’re in the wind, so any information or access codes Hux gives you will be obsolete, but you won’t need them with this.”

Leia didn’t have to look behind her to see all the wide eyes. Ben was giving them everything they’d need to systematically destroy the First Order. He was giving them a top general as well. She smiled at her son. “Good job.”

Luke stepped up beside her, and Ben tensed. “You will be resuming your training with me and Rey.”

Ben looked completely poleaxed. “But –“

Luke held up a finger that brooked not argument. “You may be several years older now, but you are still my Padawan. We have your training to complete.”

Ben flinched, but Rey put a comforting hand on his arm. Neither Luke nor Leia missed the slight relaxation. He glanced around, and then nodded. He set Hux on his feet, as the man was finally waking up. Blue eyes blinked owlishly, and then turned heated. “What is this Ren?” 

“Welcome to the Resistance base,” Ben said with a huge, evil smile. 

Hux looked Leia right in the eyes and called her a filthy name. She was about to punch – hell, through the Force she felt that everyone who heard his insult was about to punch him, including Luke – when a dark fist slammed into Hux’s supercilious face. There was an audible snap, and Hux stumbled to the ground. Leia looked up to Ben, who was grinning evilly. “I’ve wanted to do that for years,” he said to her before turning back to Hux. “And you will treat my mother with respect.”

Hux gaped at both of them. “She’s your mother?!”  
~~  
Snoke seethed in the silence of his chamber. That whelp and his whore had bested him, and he had to destroy his wayward apprentice’s mind again. Snoke’s supremecy depended on the only other powerful Force user being unable to access his full power. He also had to kill the girl. She was a Kenobi – he’d been able to find that out by reading some of her memories – and Snoke could not allow them to breed. When he had control of them both, it had seemed like an excellent idea, but with them gone it could only end badly. A child of a Skywalker and a Kenobi would be powerful. Very powerful. 

“Master.”

Snoke looked to his remaining Knights of Ren. “We find the Resistance base. We find your wayward master. We destroy him and the woman.”

~~  
“They’ve taken Hux to the New Republic Senate. He will await trail in the new capital.” 

Leia smiled, and looked to her son. “You did good.”

Ben ducked his head. “Thank you.”

Rey watched the interplay as she ate her dinner. Leia, Luke, Ben, and she were the only ones in the small room that doubled as Leia’s office. Food had been brought to them, and Rey felt a little uncomfortable being here. This felt like it should be a family dinner, and here she was, the only one here not a Skywalker.

“ _You know I can change that_ ,” Ben whispered in her head. 

She cut him a look, but smiled a bit. “ _Stop listening so hard_.”

“Ben, we have a room for you near here. I’ve spoken with our quartermaster, and he agreed to not put you near the others, at least for right now,” Leia said. 

“You’ll be near Rey and me,” Luke added quietly. 

He nodded, looking down at his food. “Okay.”

“You will have to get rid of the lightsaber you’ve been using,” Luke continued. “A Sith weapon cannot be used to complete your training.”

Rey felt the moment Ben shut down his mind, but anger still broadcasted through the bond. She glanced over at him, and saw the death grip he had on his fork. “Ben.”

He didn’t respond. Rey took a breath, and then entered down the mental passage that led to his mind. She walked back into the repaired palace, still marveling at the beauty of it. She imagined that it had been delightful before it was twisted by the Dark, but now it was even more beautiful with its gold and silver veins. She noticed that one wall had begun to crack again. She touched it, feeling lightly.

_Training – pain, humiliation, degradation._

_Training – taunts from other children, harsh looks for his impatience._

_Training – hated, hated word. Hated, hated thing._

Rey pushed at this, filing the cracks with her own experiences. In the space of his mind she said, “It’s not all bad, Ben. Your uncle will not hurt you on purpose.”

Her answer was a surge of anger, irritation.

“Ben! Use. Your. Words.”

Ben finally materialized with a roar. “I did not return to subjugate myself!”

“You’re perfectly fine doing what I tell you,” she replied calmly, but not without a bit of bite. 

“You’re different,” he snapped, pacing in front of her with his fists clenched. “You’re so Light you couldn’t subjugate a droid.”

Rey felt her lips twitch and then gestured to her face while pointedly looking at his. Ben got the hint but shook his head. “That’s different.”

“Because I was your enemy?”

“Yes.”

She sighed. “Ben. You want to atone for what you’ve done?”

“Yes,” he growled. 

“Then you have to atone to your uncle. You took his students from him. You made him question his ability to teach. You will atone by letting him complete your training.” She glanced at the wall, seeing it still cracked, but she realized that her healing at the moment of their defeat of Snoke was a temporary thing. It would have to be reinforced, redone, repeated. “Give him a chance.”

“Alright,” Ben said softly.

Neither one of them realized how they had looked as they argued in Ben’s mind palace. Leia and Luke had shared a look at seeing them staring intensely at each other, flinching when Ben slammed a hand into the table. They watched Rey’s face soften, and Ben’s follow a moment later. When the two finally came back, Rey looked at them with a small smile. “Sorry,” she said. 

“It’s alright,” Luke said, glancing at Ben. 

The younger man met his eyes. “What time do you want us to meet for training?”

The older Jedi smiled. “First light.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, thank you for the kudos, the comments, and for reading this! 
> 
> (By the way, next chapter has the good stuff~)


	5. Waves

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ben and Rey finally consummate their union.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, smut ahoy! If you'd rather not read any of that, skip the entire middle section, marked with asterisks (*). The opening and ending of the chapter are non-explicit.

Sleep did not come quickly to Ben that night. He was in a strange bed, in a strange place, surrounded by strangers. Rey was in the next room, and Luke in the room farther down, but it did not do much to comfort him. “ _Rey_ ,” he called softly, hoping she wasn’t asleep.

“ _Yes Ben_?” the reply was almost immediate.

“ _I can’t sleep. I . . . miss having you beside me_.”

She sent him the picture of a smile. “ _I know. After two weeks, it’s weird not to have someone stealing all the covers_.”

He snorted. “ _What are you talking about? At least you didn’t wake up every morning tottering on the edge of the bed._ ”

Her laugh was as sweet through their bond as it was in person. Rey did not deny being a bed-hog of epic proportions. “ _You were just too nice to shove me back over on my side of the bed_.”

Ben clamped down on the retort he wanted to give. He’d been very good about hiding the fact that the second week had been filled with fantasies of not pretending to make love to Rey, but actually doing it. It had been pure torture to not give in, but he didn’t want the first time he made love to her to be witnessed. To that end he’d been very careful not to touch her while they were in bed, to never give himself more temptation than he could handle. “ _You know I have a soft spot for you, scavenger girl_.”

“ _Okay, Prince Charming._ ”

He smiled in the darkness. 

“ _Ben?_ ”

“ _Yes_?”

“ _Come to my room_?”

She didn’t have to ask twice.  
*~~  
Rey stood in the middle of her floor, wearing the flimsy gown she’d come to love. She was nervous, unsure. She had no idea how to be seductive or anything, but she hoped that being next to naked would help. She bit her lip, and startled a bit when a knock came at her door. She strode over and opened the door. Ben stood there. “Come in,” she said.

He walked in, and she closed her door. They turned, staring at one another. Rey fidgeted, tweaking her skirts a little. Ben cocked his head, and looked her up and down. “You’re beautiful,” he said softly.

“Thank you,” she murmured. “I was wondering . . . well we’ve been pretending . . . I mean, I –“

Ben took a step forwards and laid a hand on her cheek. “Rey,” he asked breathlessly, “Are you asking me to bed?”

“Yes.”

Her answer was met with a gentle kiss. Rey had been kissed before, but they had been quick pecks from Finn, or lascivious gestures from drunk Resistance pilots. The moment she thought about it, Ben growled low in his throat. She felt his ire rising, but pushed back with focusing on the feeling on his lips on hers. When his tongue ran along the seam of her lips, she didn’t bite it like she had done several of her team mates – _a feral feeling of satisfaction rose_ – but instead let it in. From there the kiss turned passionate, and Rey stopped thinking and could only feel Ben’s hands running down her back, his soft lips on hers, and the silk of his hair beneath her fingers. 

His fingers traced arcane designs on her back as he ran them up and down her bare skin. The dress was backless, with the back panel only just covering her bottom. His calloused fingers would dip beneath to run over the globes of her buttocks and then trace back up the line of her back before teasing the clasp at the back of her neck. Up and down he went, causing Rey to shiver at the sensation. The entire time he devoured her mouth like a starving man. Finally, finally, he opened the clasp.

The bodice fell away, and Rey shivered at the feel of air on her bare breasts. Her nipples stood at attention, and she watched with a hazy gaze as Ben pulled his sleeping tunic over his head. They were both now topless, and Ben took a moment to look at her. Rey reached out and touched his chest, trailing her fingers down to his stomach. The hair on his chest was wiry, but it felt good against her fingers. She ran her fingers back up, and circled one of his small nipples. He shivered, and when she looked up, his eyes were smoldering. “Are you sure about this?”

She smiled then, his concern for her warm through the corridor of their bond. “Yes.”

That was all Ben needed. He reached out now, running his big hands up her sides and then over her breasts. He cupped them, squeezed them gently, and at her gasp, began to play with her erect nipples. Before Rey could utter a word, his mouth replaced his fingers on one, and she moaned at the sweet sensation that sent a shot of heat to her groin. He alternated after a moment, teasing one with his fingers and the other with his tongue, and Rey found herself unable to do a damn thing except moan at how good it felt.

He took her moans to be encouragement, and kept up his assault on her body. The pleasure built inside her, her muscles bowing up at the continued stimulation. His tongue laved one breast and then the other, over and over while she moaned and panted until the tension building broke inside her and her knees went out from under her. Before she could truly fall, Ben caught her up, pulled the skirt of her dress from her legs, and carried her to the bed. He laid her down with the utmost gentleness, and then he shucked his pants. 

Rey looked him up and down. She’d seen naked men before, but she’d never seen a naked Ben before. His skin was pale from years being swathed in dark robes, and his skin was dotted with freckles and moles. The cock staring her in the face was erect and blushed red. She reached out and circled it with a hand, curious at the feel of the velvety skin that covered something so hard. Ben groaned, his eyes closing in bliss. Rey sat back up, and explored his cock and balls. He hissed when she squeezed his sack too hard, and gave her a gentle admonishment. “Those are sensitive.”

“Sorry,” she said, and with a daring look, laid a kiss on the area she had hurt. Ben hissed again, but this time in pleasure. Encouraged, Rey kissed the tip of his cock, causing him to buck his hips a little. She kissed his cock again, and then gave a little lick. He tasted musky, kind of salty, but not bad. His groan was all the confirmation she needed to know he liked it. He was looking down at her with heavy, sultry eyes that invited her to do whatever she wanted to him. She finally took the last step and opened her mouth to take him in. 

Frankly, it was awkward at first, but as she experimented, Rey found just the rhythm and stimulation he liked. She found herself being pleasured by it as much as he, mostly because in his excitement his mental shields had fallen. She could feel the sensations he did, feel his arousal and lust building, and all that did was feed her own. His hands snaked through her hair, massaging out her buns, and after an erotic eternity he pulled her mouth away from him. “Too much more,” he rasped, “And we won’t both get what we want.”

She nodded, knowing her eyes were just as heavy with desire as his. One of his hands slid down her belly as the other played with her breasts. Between her legs he went, and Rey leaned back in invitation. She spread her legs as he knelt on the bed, his fingers exploring the folds at the junction of her thighs. “You’re not wet enough,” he murmured, and Rey felt a bit of curiosity when his shields came back up. 

He pushed her back prone, and stroked his hands up and down her body. His fingers were ethereally light, not even putting any pressure on her skin. Then, he swooped a kiss on her stomach, then down to the area between her belly and thigh just above and to the right of her mons. Rey didn’t expect it as an erogenous zone, and she nearly came off the bed when he suckled at it. Without giving her any time to prepare, he then kissed the inside of her thigh which gave her the same sensation. She shrieked a little, the pleasure building into another wave. Her body was pulling tight again, when he parted her thighs wider, and his mouth was on her. The wave crested, and she lay panting for a moment. Ben didn’t stop, however, his tongue teasing the little button hidden by her labia, and the wave began to build again. He kept at it, even going so far as to insert a finger into her, and Rey moaned breathlessly as she began to buck into his mouth. 

Just before she crested again, he sat up, and she gave a growl. He merely grinned at her glare, and put a hand to his cock. “Do you want this?”

“Please,” she pleaded, bucking her hips. “Do it.”

“As my lady commands,” he murmured, tapping the top of her mons with the head. Then he pulled her legs a little wider, and gently slid into her wetness. His shields fell again, and Rey was treated to every sensation again. The warmth and wetness of her body, the delightful friction of his cock inside her, everything. The wave crested again, harder this time, and she cried out. He smiled at her, and she heard him give a name to the sensation. 

He changed position, his cock hitting another part of her, and she felt the wave building one last time. The open bond allowed them to feel each other, and this time the feedback loop became overwhelming as Rey began to move in rhythm. Time stopped, the planet ceased its spin as the two of them moved as one, their moans and pants coming with more frequency. Ben’s mind rang with a litany of “I love you”s, and Rey kissed him, unable to honestly say it back just yet, but that same kind of affection growing inside her like the most beautiful rose. Ben began to pump faster, and Rey felt him nearing his own peak. He ground into her, hitting her just right to cause her even more pleasure for both of them to feel. The infinite wave finally found its end, and Rey shrieked her release only seconds before Ben’s own roar of completion. 

His heavy body was a pleasant blanket as Rey drifted in the aftermath. The thunder of his heart, and the feel of him still inside her gave her a warm pleasure that was different from what she had just felt. After a short while, he gently pulled himself from her, and pulled her so that she lay on her side. He went to the ‘fresher, coming back with a wash cloth. He wiped his now flaccid cock before opening up her legs to gently clean her. “You can use the fresher if you want.”

“Thank you.” She got up, and stood there with him naked. It felt natural, right. “Stay with me.”

“Okay.”

When she came back, they curled into the too small cot, wrapped in each other as they fell asleep. 

*~~  
Luke sat meditating in his room, although he would freely admit that not a whole lot of meditation was happening. The base’s walls were thinner than some of their other hiding places, and he could hear a good bit of what was going on in the other room. While he wouldn’t begrudge them their fun, there would be a gentle request for them to live in Ben’s room.

In the morning, he did in fact make that request, and was nice enough to help them move Rey’s cot into Ben’s room so that they could make themselves a serviceable little nest for the duration. The elder man took great pleasure in the two fiery red faces he’d managed to cause, and couldn’t help but cackle over the thought of what Leia was going to say.


	6. First Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey makes a point, and Ben makes a friend.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading!

The first day was the hardest. 

Rey knew that the Resistance was not going to accept Ben quickly, but their extreme distrust soon grated. Especially since an entire horde of off duty pilots and fighters were watching her, Ben, and Luke train. She was getting more and more annoyed as she looked over to see them holding blasters at the ready. They didn’t even try to appear casual, and to make things worse for her, Finn was the ringleader. Once again, she had not expected Finn to accept Ben quickly, but she was quickly getting more and more annoyed. 

“Rey,” Master Luke murmured.

“Yes?”

“Ignore them. Don’t let your anger get the better of you.”

Ben glanced at her and then up at the group of hostiles. “Would you like to practice your parries?”

She gave him a big smile. “Of course.”

Parry drills were actually her least favorite part of training, but she wanted to do something with Ben. Most of the morning had been spent in meditation, Force work, and other things that didn’t require pairs. Now she could begin to test her skills against the older man and hopefully learn something from him. They started slowly, Ben’s activated saber landing on her newly constructed double-bladed one lightly. Rey couldn’t help but smile at the sight of Ben using his uncle’s old lightsaber – the blue blade looked right in his hand. It wasn’t until they sped up that the little black cloud behind her came back. 

Feelings of mistrust rolled over her with the occasional twinge of concern as it looked like Ben might actually land blows. Rey knew that Master Luke allowed this practice because Ben was proficient enough to be able to control his blade with the utmost precision. However, the men and women watching the practice for the least sign of treachery either didn’t know this or didn’t care. Finally, she couldn’t stand it anymore. “Hold!”

Ben stopped mid-swing, freezing at the command. Anyone could call a hold during practice – it was a safe word to keep them from hurting another person. Rey gave Ben a wait-here gesture and then stomped over to Finn. “What. Is. Your. Problem?”

“I don’t trust him Rey!” Finn replied just as angrily. “I don’t know what he gave you to make you believe that he’s harmless, but he’s not!”

“Of course he’s not, he’s a trained warrior!” She breathed deeply. “He would never hurt me. He’s not going to hurt you. He’s here to atone for what he’s done and help the Resistance. I’m not saying that you have to trust him now, Finn, but at least give me the benefit of knowing what I’m talking about!”

Finn’s face remained stony and Rey nearly shrieked in frustration. “I see a demonstration is in order.” Without any warning, not one damn thought through their bond, she turned and leaped towards Ben with her lightsaber activated. She slashed downwards as she arced towards him, and would have cleaved a limb if Master Luke hadn’t drawn his saber and blocked her blade. “Rey!” he thundered. 

It was not lost on anyone that Ben had not moved a bit. His activated lightsaber hummed at his side, but he didn’t even try to block her. He simply stared at her, an unreadable look in his eyes. Ignoring her master, and sending reassurances down their bond, she turned back to the gathered Resistance fighters. “He won’t hurt me.”

“ _No, but I just might!_ ” Luke roared. 

~~  
Poe listened to Finn’s recitation of events with a thoughtful look. He’d heard the same thing from Jessika Pava earlier, as well as from Wes. It seemed that everyone who’d been there had seen what Rey had wanted them to see – a man who would die before hurting her. Poe sent a silent kudos to the girl’s shrewdness, even if it culminated in the mother of all dressing downs from her Master. As he took a sip from his drink, he glanced over to the bar. The man once known as Kylo Ren sat by himself at the end of the bar, everyone giving him wide berth. Poe knew that several people were thinking of attacking, but his reputation gave him some immunity from direct aggression. No one wanted to get on the wrong side of the Jedi Killer.

“I can’t believe Rey is taking his side,” Finn muttered. 

“Babe,” Poe replied, “Of course she’s taking his side. Did you hear her debrief yesterday? He saved her from being used as a baby factory.”

“What?” Finn whispered. 

Poe shook his head. For someone who’d been raised to kill, Finn’s education had been sadly lacking. He still thought in child-like ways sometimes, unable to tolerate shades of gray in his black and white world. On top of that, implications that were obvious to others weren’t always obvious to him. “Finn, when she mentioned Snoke wanting her pregnant? You realize that all the Supreme Leader wanted her for was to turn out his next generation of Force-Sensitive slaves, right?”

Finn looked uncomfortable, and shifted in his seat. “Okay, maybe it didn’t occur to me.”

“Exactly, but that’s kind of personal to a female. I’m not surprised she’s protective of him. He’s the one who kept her safe when she was at her most helpless. Rey’s loyal like that.” Poe gazed at the man in question. “And Rey is usually a really good judge of character.”

Without a word to Finn, Poe stood up and walked over to the man sitting all by himself. Poe settled in to his right, and hunched over his drink. The taller man cut his eyes to him, surprise morphing into blankness. Poe gave him his best shit-eating grin. They regarded each other for a moment before the former Knight of Ren said in a perfect imitation of Poe’s own cadences, “So who talks first? Do I talk first?”

Poe burst out laughing, taking the joke particularly well. He realized that Solo had to be feeling as lost and threatened as he had in that village on Jakku. Others might take it as being in poor taste, but Poe recognized the peace offering for what it was. “So, I heard Rey nearly took your head off.”

“She would have only taken a hand,” Solo said lightly. “It’s a family tradition anyway.”

“A family tradition?”

Solo’s grin was just as smarmy as his own. “To lose a limb.”

The pilot shook his head. “You are crazy, but then again I knew that.” He cast an appraising eye over the bar. “So where is your crazy girlfriend anyway?”

There was a nearly imperceptible tightening of Solo’s eyes. “Rey is doing extra training with Master Luke.”

“I did hear that she had the fear of the Maker put into her for her little stunt this morning,” Poe mused. “But hey, that kind of fire is always appreciated.” 

His goad was mostly brushed aside. “She was only trying to make a point.”

“A point with your life in the balance,” Poe replied. “She could’ve hurt you.”

“And she would have been within her right to do so.”

“Well, I guess you like feisty pieces of ass –“

His windpipe was suddenly crushed, and it took all he had not to thrash in panic. He’d expected this reaction, and was thankful that no one seemed to notice his predicament. Solo’s face came close, and his voice was venomous. “If you dare disrespect her in such a way again, I will finish what I started. Am I understood?”

Poe nodded, and the crushing pressure on his throat eased. He sat for a moment, coughing a little bit, and when the bartender came over to offer assistance, he waved it off as some of his Corellian brandy going down the wrong tube. Solo sat silently, his eyes locked on his drink. Once he was sure he could speak properly, Poe said, “I like you. You pilot?”

Solo whipped his head around and blinked. “What?”

“Do you pilot? I’m going to be doing some patrol flying tomorrow and I was wondering if you’d like to come along?” 

The other man blinked again, confusion still etched on his face. “Patrol flying? But I just – You –“

Poe stood up and winked at him. “You mean after all these years of Jedi mind tricking you couldn’t recognize a test when it came up and bit you on the ass? Come on Solo! You may not really know me, but like _Rey_ would ever let me demean her. Half the reason no one is coming for your head is because of _her_. Now, I’ll meet you down at Hanger 5 at about noon. You should be done with most of your training by then, right?”

Solo nodded, and said, “I’ll see you then.”

Poe turned away, heading back to Finn. On his way he stopped at Wes’s table, where he knew most of the vengeful ones were sitting. “No one does a damn thing to him, got me?”

“But Dameron-“

“No buts. We give him an honest damn chance.” Poe patted Wes’s shoulder, and the other man was giving him an appraising look. “He’s got a soft spot for Rey. If a guy can feel attached to a girl, then I don’t think he’s completely a lost cause.”

“Even evil people have loved ones,” another pilot, Jeezal, murmured.

“Yeah,” Poe said in agreement, “But here we can use that even if it is true. He may be Rey’s dark knight, but if he’s Rey’s, he’s _ours_. Leave him alone.”

Finn had walked over during the conversation, and turned to follow Poe out of the cantina. They raised their hands to the barkeep to let him know they were done for the evening. As they trotted down to their own quarters – perks of being a pilot, Poe got his own room and that meant Finn could sleep there too – Finn looked thoughtful. “Did you mean all that? About us being able to use Ren?”

“Solo.”

“What?”

“He’s not Kylo Ren anymore. He’s Ben Solo.”

“How can you be so sure?”

Poe looked down at his young lover and gave him a small smile. “We’ve both met Kylo Ren. Is that guy, the man who would meekly let a slip of a girl cut into him, who would come riding to her rescue, who would ignore an opportunity to get what he wants most and be honorable, is he Kylo Ren? Because he doesn’t sound like a Kylo Ren. He sounds like a Ben Solo to me.”

Finn’s head cocked to the side. “So you didn’t mean it about the whole dark knight thing.”

“No,” Poe said, “But that man loves that woman. And he’ll crush anyone that even thinks impure thoughts about her.”

“That sounds like Kylo Ren.”

“No, that sounds like a man in love.”

~~  
Rey looked up as Ben walked back into their room. She had just gotten out of the ‘fresher, and was gingerly dressing her bruises with ointment. Ben saw what she was doing and came over to help. She couldn’t decide which was more soothing – the cream or his warm hands. “How was the cantina?” she asked lightly, hoping he would talk to her. Their bond had been silent all day. 

“It was interesting,” he murmured, not looking her in the eye.

Rey bit her lip, knowing that she had to explain herself. “Ben, I’m sorry, but I felt like I had to show them. Words wouldn’t mean anything, but actions? Seeing that you’d never hurt me? That would mean more.”

“I know,” he replied, his gaze finally coming to meet hers. His eyes were dark and intense. “But I needed to think about a few things.”

She cocked her head, waiting. Finally, he said, “I was thinking that if I stayed, I would ruin everything for you. Your friends would want nothing to do with you. Finn is already militant against me, but he would go completely crazy if he knew we were lovers.”

Rey couldn’t help but smile at the term. She liked the thought of being Ben’s lover, and honestly the word on his lips was magnificent. “Yeah, he’d go insane alright. But you can’t leave because of that. If you give up now, no one will trust you simply because you didn’t even try to earn it.”

He nodded. “Then I went and got a drink. The pilot . . . Dameron . . . He wants me to go on a patrol flight with him tomorrow.”

Rey reared back and blinked rapidly. “Really?”

“And I overheard him talking to some others, warning them off of trying to mess with me. He wants everyone to give me a chance.” His eyes shifted to something that resembled hope. “That’s when I knew that everything could be okay.”

Her smile was brilliant. “See? I told you! You can do this Ben!”

His smile was smaller, but no less beautiful. “I can only do it with you. I love you.”

Her smile faltered, and pain swelled that she couldn’t tell him those words back, not for sure, not right now. He didn’t seem to react, only letting her curl close to him.


End file.
